Qualifications of those entitled to receive Zakat

1950. It is necessary that the person to whom Zakat is paid is a Shi'ah Ithna'ashari. If, therefore, one pays Zakat to a person under the impression that he is a Shi'ah, and it transpires later that he is not a Shi'ah, one should pay Zakat again.

1951. If a child or an insane Shi'ah person is poor, a person can give Zakat to his guardian with the intention that whatever he is giving will belong to the child or to the insane person.

1952. If a person has no access to the guardian of the child or of the insane person, he can utilise Zakat for the benefit of the child or of the insane person himself, or through an honest person. And he will do the Niyyat of Zakat, when the money has reached for the purpose.

1953. Zakat can be given to a poor man who begs, but can not be given to a person who spends it for sinful purpose. In fact, as a precaution, it cannot be given to a poor man who, as a result of receiving, feels encouraged to commit sins, even if he does not spend that sum for sinful purposes. In fact, as a precaution, it cannot be given to a poor man who, as a result of receiving, feels encouraged to commit sins, even if he does not spend that sum for sinful purposes.

1954. As an obligatory precaution, Zakat cannot be given to a drunkard, or one who does not offer daily prayers, or one who commits major sins openly.

1955. The debt of a person who cannot repay his debt can be paid from Zakat even if his maintenance is obligatory on the one giving Zakat.

1956. A person cannot pay from Zakat the expenses of his dependants, like, his children. But, if he himself fails to maintain them, others may give them from Zakat.

1957. There is no harm if a person gives Zakat to his deserving son for spending on his wife, servant and maid servant.

1958. Father cannot pay for the religious or secular books required by his son for education, from Zakat money, except when public welfare warrants it, and as a precaution, he has sought the permission of the Mujtahid.

1959. If a father is not financially capable of getting his son married, he can get him married by spending Zakat, and the son can similarly do so for his father.

1960. Zakat cannot be given to a wife whose husband provides for her subsistence, nor to one whose husband does not provide for her subsistence, if it is possible for her to refer to Mujtahid who would compel him to provide.

1961. If a woman who has contracted temporary marriage (Mut'ah) is poor, her husband and others can give her Zakat. But if the contract had a condition that the husband would maintain her for her expenses, or if it is obligatory on the husband for some other reason to maintain her, and he fulfils the obligation, Zakat cannot be given to her.

1962. A wife can give Zakat to her husband who may be poor even if the husband may in turn spend that Zakat for her, being his wife.

1963. A Sayyid cannot take Zakat from a non-Sayyid. However, if Khums and other religious dues are not sufficient to meet the expenses of a Sayyid and he has no alternative, he may take Zakat from a non-Sayyid.

1964. Zakat can be given to a person about whom one is not sure whether he is a Sayyid or not.